Heater for aircraft engines



May 6, 1941. cs A. ssrrz HEATER FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINES Filed Nov; 6, 1939 ar/26x7 562' m away? N ARV/0% ATTOR N EYS tin atented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATER FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINES Charles A. Seitz, Long Beach, Calif.

Application November 6, 1939, Serial No. 303,166

7 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) My invention relates broadly to heaters, and more particularly to heaters for airplane engines, or the like.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a heater that is particularly adapted to heat the engine of an airplane prior to the starting of the same under severe and inclement weather conditions.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a heater of the above-mentioned character that is unique in its construction to eliminate the necessity of using an open flame thereby avoiding the possibility of fire or explosion attendant with the use of open flame heaters when operated in close proximity to gasoline or similar highly inflammable or explosive material.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a heater of the above-mentioned character that will quickly and efficiently heat the oil in the crankcase and the working parts of an engine before the starting of the same to assure improved lubrication after the initial start of the engine due to the parts being heated and the congealed oil thinned on the bearing surfaces of the engine.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a heater that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient and efficacious in the performance of its duties.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, forming a part of this speciflcation, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

The figure is a side elevation, showing parts in section, of an apparatus embodying my invention and showing the same associated with the crankcase of an airplane engine.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein for the urpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l0 desighates the fuselage of an airplane having the crankcase I I mounted on the forward end thereof. The radially disposed cylinders l2 are connected to and communicate with the crankcase and various of the moving parts of the engine such as the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, and the like (not shown), are disposed within the crankcase in the conventional manner.

The apparatus embodying my invention comprises an air compressor 13 driven by the electric motor l4 through the endless belt l5. The

compressed air storage tank I6 is provided with an air inlet nozzle H at the end l3 thereof, and the check valve i9 is connected to the nozzle I1 and to the discharge tube 20 of the air compressor to control the flow of air into the tank.

The coil 2| communicates at the end 22 thereof with the end 23 of the storage tank and a manually controlled valve 24 is connected to the end 25 thereof. A flexible tubing 26 is connected to the end 21 of the valve 24 and the free end 28 thereof is provided with an air valve fitting 29 adapted to coact with the air valve fitting 30 carried by the crankcase to force air under pressure into the crankcase. The air injected into the crankcase will have egress through the conventional breather tube 3|.

To heat the air passing through the coil 2| I have provided a steam chest 3| adapted to enclose the coil and having a lead in pipe 32 connected thereto adjacent one end, and a discharge pipe .33 connected to the other end thereof. The inlet and discharge pipes 32 and 33 are connected at their other ends to a suitable steam generating source (not shown).

It is well known that a cold engine is difficult to start and, in fact, may be so cold as to congeal the oil in the bearings or crankcase, in which case starting the cold engine without preliminary warming might readily result in serious damage thereto due to failure of the lubricating system to supply oil to the working parts. Warming the oil alone will not avoid this contingency since it will congeal again when it reaches the cold engine parts. My device is preferably mounted in the hangar in a manner whereby it may be easily and conveniently connected to the air inlet valve 30 in the crankcase of the engine, at some time prior to the starting of the same. The steam for the steam chest 3| may be piped from the heating system in use in the building if desired. Even if the plane is normally kept in the hangar it is preferable to warm up the engine before starting the same during inclement weather conditions.

The compressor l3 will maintain at constant pressure within the tank l6 and as the air flows into the coil 2|, it will be heated by the steam flowing through the steam chest 3|. The manually controlled valve 24 is manipulated to permit air to be forced into the crankcase of the engine at a pressure sufficiently low to permit the breather tube 3| to conveniently discharge the same. It is obvious that the heated air, when introduced into the crankcase will warm. the oil normally disposed therein and that it will also warm the movable engine parts such as the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, etc. When the engine has been thoroughly warmed it may be started and the oil will be sufliciently thinned to efficiently lubricate all of the bearing surfaces and the bearing surfaces themselves will be sufficiently warmed to permit the lubrication to be thoroughly effective. By using the steam chest 3| in the manner illustrated in the figure, I have avoided the possibility of fire or explosion losses due to the use of an open flame in close proximity to highly inflammable or explosive substances.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus adapted to pass heated air through an internal combustion engine of the type having a crankcase provided with an air inlet valve and outlet breather tube and with movable engine parts within and in association with the crankcase, said movable engine parts being lubricated by oil contained within the crankcase; comprising an air compressor having communication with the inlet valve of the crankcase for impinging a current of air therein; means associated with the compressor to control the flow of air into the crankcase; and means to heat the air prior to its introduction into the crankcase, said heated air having direct contact with the crankcase oil and the movable engine parts to heat the same and thereafter egressing through the said breather tube.

2. An apparatus adapted to pass heated air through an internal combustion engine of the type having a crankcase provided with an air in let valve and outlet breather tube and with movable engine parts within and in association with the crankcase, said movable engine parts being lubricated by oil contained within the crankcase; comprising an air compressor; a coupling means adapted to connect the compressor with the inlet valve of the crankcase whereby the compressor may introduce air therein under pressure; and a heat exchanger containing at least a part of the coupling means and adapted to heat the air prior to its introduction into the crankcase whereby the heated air within the crankcase will warm the crankcase oil and the movable engine parts and egress through the said breather tube.

3. An apparatus adapted to pass heated air through an internal combustion engine of the type having a crankcase provided with an air inlet valve and outlet breather tube and with movable engine parts within and in association with the crankcase and lubricated by oil contained Within the crankcase; comprising an air compressor; a storage tank connected to the air compressor; a heating coil communicating at one end with the storage tank and at the other end with the inlet valve of the crankcase; and a steam chest receiving the coil and acting to heat the air prior to its introduction into the crankcase,

whereby the heated air may have direct contact I with the crankcase oil and with the movable engine parts to heat the same and thereafter have egress from the crankcase through the said breather tube.

4. An apparatus adapted to pass heated air through an internal combustion engine of the type having a crankcase provided with an air inlet valve and outlet breather tube and with movable engine parts adapted to be lubricated by oil contained within the crankcase; comprising an air compressor; a storage tank connected to the air compressor; a heating coil communicating at one end with the storage tank and at the other end with the inlet valve of the crankcase; valve means connected to the coil to control the passage of air therethrough; and a steam chest receiving the coil and acting to heat the air prior to its introduction into the crankcase, whereby the heated air may have direct contact with the crankcase oil and with the movable engine parts to heat the same and thereafter have egress from the crankcase through the said breather tube.

5. An apparatus adapted to pass heated air through an internal combustion engine of the type having a crankcase provided with an air inlet valve and outlet breather tube and with movable engine parts within and in association with the crankcase, said movable engine parts being lubricated by oil contained within the crankcase; comprising an air compressor; coupling means connecting the air compressed with the air inlet valve whereby the compressor may impinge a current of air into the crankcase; and means associated with the coupling means to heat the air prior to its introduction into the crankcase, said heated air having direct contact with the oil and engine parts to heat the same and thereafter having egress through the said breath er tube.

6. A heater comprising a storage tank; an air compressor adapted to supply air under pressure to the tank; a heating coil connected to the tank and adapted to receive air therefrom; a coupling means for connecting the heating coil to a device to be warmed; valve means interposed between the coupling means and the heating coil for controlling the passage of air from the coil and into the coupling means; a steam chest en tirely receiving the heating coil; and steam inlet and outlet pipes connecting with the steam chest for delivering steam to the chest, which steam heats the air passing through the coil by heat absorption and egresses through the steam outlet pipe, whereby air supplied to the tank by the compressor will pass through the coil and be heated by the steam within the chest, which air thereafter traversing the coupling means for contact with the device to be heated.

7. A heater comprising a storage tank; an air compressor adapted to supply air under pressure into the tank; a heating coil connected to the tank and adapted to receive air from the tank; a coupling means for connecting the heating coil to a device to be warmed; a steam chest entirely receiving the heating coil; and steam inlet and outlet pipes connecting with the steam chest for delivering steam to the chest, which steam heats the air passing through the coil by heat absorption and egresses through the steam outlet pipe, whereby air supplied to the tank by the compressor will pass through the coil and be heated by the steam within the chest, which air thereafter traversing the coupling means for contact with the device to be heated.

CHARLES A. SEITZ. 

